University of Iowa ranks 27th best in the nation for law schools, study finds

The Iowa City school’s full-time tuition was $27,344 annually. The law school enrolls 416 full-time students.

The universities ranked by U.S. News were all accredited by the American Bar Association. They were examined using weighted averages of 12 metrics, including a peer assessment, a score by attorneys and judges, admission test scores, the grade-point averages of median undergraduates, acceptance rates, the ability of 2017 graduates to find employment, percentages of students passing bar exams and student-faculty ratios.

U.S. News collected the data in fall of 2018 and earlier this year.

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Top Law Schools in the U.S.

Rank

School

City

Tuition

Enrollment (Full-time)

1

Yale University

New Haven, Conn.

$64,267 (full-time)

621

2

Stanford University

Stanford, Calif.

$62,373 (full-time)

565

3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Mass.

$64,978 (full-time)

1,737

4

University of Chicago

Chicago

$64,089 (full-time)

600

5

Columbia University

New York City

$69,916 (full-time)

1,268

6

New York University

New York City

$66,422 (full-time)

1,380

7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

$65,804 (full-time)

755

8

University of Virginia

Charlottesville

$60,700 (in-state, full-time)

923

9

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor

$59,762 (in-state, full-time)

1,012

10 (tie)

Duke University

Durham, N.C.

$64,722 (full-time)

682

10 (tie)

Northwestern University (Pritzker)

Chicago

$64,402 (full-time)

752

10 (tie)

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley

$49,325 (in-state, full-time)

976

13

Cornell University

Ithaca, N.Y.

$65,541 (full-time)

595

14

Georgetown University

Washington, D.C.

$62,244 (full-time)

1,790

15

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles

$45,600 (in-state, full-time)

955

16

University of Texas-Austin

Austin

$35,715 (in-state, full-time)

997

17

University of Southern California (Gould)

Los Angeles

$64,908 (full-time)

614

18 (tie)

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tenn.

$57,558 (full-time)

577

18 (tie)

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, Mo.

$57,445 (full-time)

728

20

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis

$44,919 (in-state, full-time

590

21

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Ind.

$58,358 (full-time)

587

22

George Washington University

Washington, D.C.

$60,790 (full-time)

1,366

23 (tie)

Boston University

Boston

$55,076 (full-time)

769

23 (tie)

University of California-Irvine

Irvine

$45,099 (in-state, full-time)

514

25

University of Alabama (Culverhouse)

Tuscaloosa

$23,920 (in-state, full-time)

381

26

Emory University

Atlanta

$57,348 (full-time)

864

27 (tie)

Arizona State University (O'Connor)

Phoenix

$27,584 (in-state, full-time)

779

27 (tie)

Boston College

Newton, Mass.

$54,750 (full-time)

737

27 (tie)

University of Georgia

Athens

$19,708 (in-state, full-time)

582

27 (tie)

University of Iowa

Iowa City

$27,344 (in-state, full-time)

416

31 (tie)

University of California-Davis

Davis

$47,723 (in-state, full-time)

530

31 (tie)

University of Florida (Levin)

Gainesville

$21,803 (in-state, full-time)

897

31 (tie)

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, N.C.

$46,409 (full-time)

496

34 (tie)

Indiana University-Bloomington (Maurer)

Bloomington

$35,588 (in-state, full-time)

519

34 (tie)

Ohio State University (Moritz)

Columbus

$30,854 (in-state, full-time)

563

34 (tie)

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

$24,172 (in-state, full-time)

621

34 (tie)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison

$23,517 (in-state, full-time)

567

34 (tie)

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Va.

$49,355 (full-time)

396

39 (tie)

Brigham Young University (Clark)

Provo, Utah

$13,060 (LDS member, full-time); $26,120 (Non-LDS member, full-time)

356

39 (tie)

Fordham University

New York City

$60,406 (full-time)

1,077

39 (tie)

University of Arizona (Rogers)

Tucson

$25,826 (in-state, full-time)

340

39 (tie)

University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

Champaign

$38,118 (in-state, full-time)

402

39 (tie)

William & Mary Law School

Williamsburg, Va.

$34,000 (in-state, full-time)

611

44

University of Washington

Seattle

$35,988 (in-state, full-time)

492

45 (tie)

George Mason University

Arlington, Va.

$25,354 (in-state, full-time)

425

45 (tie)

University of Colorado-Boulder

Boulder

$31,898 (in-state, full-time)

512

47

University of Utah (Quinney)

Salt Lake City

$28,354 (in-state, full-time)

279

48 (tie)

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

$62,432 (full-time)

426

48 (tie)

Florida State University

Tallahassee

$20,693 (in-state, full-time)

547

48 (tie)

Temple University (Beasley)

Philadelphia

$27,103 (in-state, full-time)

545

51

Pepperdine University

Malibu, Calif.

$55,890 (full-time)

473

52 (tie)

Southern Methodist University (Dedman)

Dallas

$54,094 (full-time)

678

52 (tie)

Tulane University

New Orleans

$56,572 (full-time)

602

52 (tie)

University of Connecticut

Hartford

$30,338 (in-state, full-time)

325

52 (tie)

University of Maryland (Carey)

Baltimore

$33,651 (in-state, full-time)

530

52 (tie)

University of Richmond

Richmond, Va.

$44,700 (full-time)

378

52 (tie)

Yeshiva University (Cardozo)

New York City

$60,610 (full-time)

891

58

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Las Vegas

$27,023 (in-state, full-time)

354

59 (tie)

Seton Hall University

Newark, N.J.

$54,090 (full-time)

450

59 (tie)

University of Houston

Houston

$32,093 (in-state, full-time)

603

59 (tie)

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville

$19,674 (in-state, full-time)

360

62 (tie)

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

$57,230 (full-time)

855

62 (tie)

University of California (Hastings)

San Francisco

$44,326 (in-state, full-time)

932

64 (tie)

Northeastern University

Boston

$50,700 (full-time)

621

64 (tie)

Pennsylvania State University-University Park

University Park

$50,984 (in-state, full-time)

393

64 (tie)

University of Missouri

Columbia

$21,837 (in-state, full-time)

276

67 (tie)

Georgia State University

Atlanta

$17,050 (in-state, full-time)

471

67 (tie)

University of Denver (Sturm)

Denver

$50,942 (full-time)

652

67 (tie)

University of Kansas

Lawrence

$22,562 (in-state, full-time)

312

67 (tie)

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Fla.

$52,390 (full-time)

1,019

71 (tie)

Brooklyn Law School

Brooklyn, N.Y.

$55,038 (full-time)

923

71 (tie)

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio

$52,070 (full-time)

433

71 (tie)

Pennsylvania State University-Carlisle (Dickinson)

Carlisle

$50,582 (in-state, full-time)

207

71 (tie)

University of Kentucky

Lexington

$24,046 (in-state, full-time)

428

71 (tie)

University of Oklahoma

Norman

$20,903 (in-state, full-time)

506

71 (tie)

Villanova University

Villanova, Penn.

$46,535 (full-time)

565

77 (tie)

American University (Washington)

Washington, D.C.

$56,724 (full-time)

1,097

77 (tie)

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

$48,506 (full-time)

605

77 (tie)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Newark and Camden

$28,359 (in-state, full-time)

901

77 (tie)

St. John's University

Jamaica, N.Y.

$59,480 (full-time)

687

77 (tie)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln

$16,078 (in-state, full-time)

379

77 (tie)

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

$34,834 (in-state, full-time)

410

83 (tie)

Texas A&M University

Fort Worth

$31,000 (in-state, full-time)

421

83 (tie)

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati

$24,010 (in-state, full-time)

361

83 (tie)

University of Oregon

Eugene

$35,418 (in-state, full-time)

363

86

University of San Diego

San Diego

$54,641 (full-time)

616

87 (tie)

Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent)

Chicago

$47,644 (full-time)

620

87 (tie)

University of New Hampshire School of Law

Concord

$37,405 (in-state, full-time)

222

87 (tie)

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Okla.

$25,254 (full-time)

255

90

Saint Louis University

St. Louis, Mo.

$42,154 (full-time)

452

91 (tie)

Florida International University

Miami

$21,806 (in-state, full-time)

371

91 (tie)

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wis.

$46,170 (full-time)

532

91 (tie)

Michigan State University

East Lansing

$44,400 (full-time)

709

91 (tie)

Syracuse University

Syracuse, N.Y.

$51,422 (full-time)

545

91 (tie)

University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

Fayetteville

$16,188 (in-state, full-time)

343

91 (tie)

University of Hawaii-Manoa (Richardson)

Honolulu

$23,164 (in-state, full-time)

250

91 (tie)

University of New Mexico

Albuquerque

$17,349 (in-state, full-time)

345

91 (tie)

University of South Carolina

Columbia

$29,608 (in-state, full-time)

630

91 (tie)

Wayne State University

Detroit

$32,882 (in-state, full-time)

400

100 (tie)

Drexel University (Kline)

Philadelphia

$44,195 (full-time)

431

100 (tie)

Hofstra University (Deane)

Hempstead, N.Y.

$59,214 (full-time)

702

100 (tie)

Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge (Hebert)

Baton Rouge

$23,660 (in-state, full-time)

560

100 (tie)

West Virginia University

Morgantown

$24,084 (in-state, full-time)

322

104 (tie)

Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern)

Portland, Ore.

$46,370 (full-time)

446

104 (tie)

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, Calif.

$50,624 (full-time)

582

104 (tie)

Stetson University

Gulfport, Fla.

$43,880 (full-time)

695

104 (tie)

University at Buffalo-SUNY

Buffalo, N.Y.

$27,964 (in-state, full-time)

442

108 (tie)

CUNY Long Island

New York City

$15,563 (in-state, full-time)

417

108 (tie)

Howard University

Washington, D.C.

$34,194 (full-time)

414

108 (tie)

Indiana University-Indianapolis (McKinney)

Indianapolis

$29,190 (in-state, full-time)

709

108 (tie)

The Catholic University of America

Washington, D.C.

$51,112 (full-time)

254

108 (tie)

University of Louisville (Brandeis)

Louisville, Ky.

$21,988 (in-state, full-time)

363

108 (tie)

University of Mississippi

University

$16,550 (in-state, full-time)

364

108 (tie)

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo.

$19,440 (in-state, full-time)

374

115 (tie)

Albany Law School

Albany, N.Y.

$47,450 (full-time)

465

115 (tie)

University of Montana

Missoula

$13,177 (in-state, full-time)

221

117 (tie)

Creighton University

Omaha, Neb.

$40,096 (full-time)

294

117 (tie)

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Wash.

$40,665 (full-time)

350

117 (tie)

New York Law School

New York City

$51,732 (full-time)

785

117 (tie)

Texas Tech University

Lubbock

$26,840 (in-state, full-time

411

117 (tie)

University of St. Thomas

Minneapolis

$41,442 (full-time)

434

122 (tie)

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

$41,512 (full-time)

306

122 (tie)

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh

$44,944 (full-time)

352

122 (tie)

Pace University (Haub)

White Plains, N.Y.

$48,614 (full-time)

548

122 (tie)

Seattle University

Seattle, Wash.

$46,586 (full-time)

495

126 (tie)

Cleveland State University (Cleveland-Marshall)

Cleveland, Ohio

$27,209 (in-state, full-time)

264

126 (tie)

Quinnipiac University

Hamden, Conn.

$49,540 (full-time)

264

126 (tie)

University of Baltimore

Baltimore

$31,954 (in-state, full-time)

467

126 (tie)

University of Idaho

Moscow and Boise

$20,968 (in-state, full-time)

314

126 (tie)

University of Maine

Portland

$23,640 (in-state, full-time)

239

126 (tie)

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

$21,895 (in-state, full-time)

231

132 (tie)

Chapman University (Fowler)

Orange, Calif.

$53,124 (full-time)

470

132 (tie)

DePaul University

Chicago

$48,166 (full-time)

600

132 (tie)

University of Wyoming

Laramie

$16,775 (in-state, full-time)

226

132 (tie)

Washburn University

Topeka, Kan.

$22,429 (in-state, full-time)

306

136 (tie)

Ohio Northern University (Pettit)

Ada

$29,160 (full-time)

147

136 (tie)

Vermont Law School

South Royalton

$49,279 (full-time)

445

138 (tie)

Belmont University

Nashville, Tenn.

$44,470 (full-time)

293

138 (tie)

Loyola University New Orleans

New Orleans

$44,330 (full-time)

426

138 (tie)

Mercer University (George)

Macon, Ga.

$38,716 (full-time)

394

138 (tie)

University of Memphis (Humphreys)

Memphis, Tenn.

$19,197 (in-state, full-time)

299

138 (tie)

University of South Dakota

Vermillion

$16,944 (in-state, full-time)

168

143 (tie)

Suffolk University

Boston

$48,990 (full-time)

709

143 (tie)

University of Akron

Akron, Ohio

$24,214 (in-state, full-time)

342

143 (tie)

University of Arkansas-Little Rock (Bowen)

Little Rock

$16,031 (in-state, full-time)

312

146 (tie)

Appalachian School of Law

Grundy, Va.

$35,500 (full-time)

146

146 (tie)

Ave Maria School of Law

Naples, Fla.

$42,206 (full-time)

241

146 (tie)

Barry University

Orlando, Fla.

N/A

N/A

146 (tie)

California Western School of Law

San Diego

$52,470 (full-time)

558

146 (tie)

Campbell University

Raleigh, N.C.

$41,130 (full-time)

426

146 (tie)

Capital University

Columbus, Ohio

$37,001 (full-time)

277

146 (tie)

Charleston School of Law

Charleston, S.C.

$42,134 (full-time)

627

146 (tie)

Elon University

Greensboro, N.C.

$46,140 (full-time)

359

146 (tie)

Faulkner University (Jones)

Montgomery, Ala.

$39,185 (full-time)

185

146 (tie)

Florida A&M University

Orlando

$14,132 (in-state, full-time)

391

146 (tie)

Florida Coastal School of Law

Jacksonville

$39,900 (full-time)

207

146 (tie)

Golden Gate University

San Francisco

$50,000 (full-time)

431

146 (tie)

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Va.

$36,862 (full-time)

186

146 (tie)

Mississippi College

Jackson

$35,510 (full-time)

356

146 (tie)

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

St. Paul, Minn.

$43,534 (full-time)

443

146 (tie)

New England Law Boston

Boston

$49,408 (full-time)

371

146 (tie)

North Carolina Central University

Durham, N.C.

$18,738 (in-state, full-time)

300

146 (tie)

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

$22,179 (in-state, full-time)

260

146 (tie)

Northern Kentucky University (Chase)

Highland Heights

$20,332 (in-state, full-time)

283

146 (tie)

Nova Southeastern University (Broad)

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

$41,200 (full-time)

525

146 (tie)

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City

$35,340 (full-time)

437

146 (tie)

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Va.

$36,620 (full-time)

224

146 (tie)

Roger Williams University

Bristol, R.I.

$36,815 (full-time)

454

146 (tie)

Samford University (Cumberland)

Birmingham, Ala.

$40,150 (full-time)

425

146 (tie)

South Texas College of Law Houston

Houston

$32,400 (full-time)

727

146 (tie)

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale

$22,564 (in-state, full-time)

264

146 (tie)

Southern University Law Center

Baton Rouge, La.

$16,490 (in-state, full-time)

452

146 (tie)

Southwestern Law School

Los Angeles

$53,966 (full-time)

518

146 (tie)

St. Mary's University

San Antonio, Texas

$36,550 (full-time)

582

146 (tie)

St. Thomas University

Miami Gardens, Fla.

$42,190 (full-time)

533

146 (tie)

Texas Southern University (Marshall)

Houston

N/A

N/A

146 (tie)

The John Marshall Law School

Chicago

$47,500 (full-time)

675

146 (tie)

Touro College (Fuchsberg)

Central Islip, N.Y.

$49,800 (full-time)

332

146 (tie)

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio

$34,580 (full-time)

244

146 (tie)

University of Detroit Mercy

Detroit

$44,220 (full-time)

506

146 (tie)

University of La Verne

Ontario, Calif.

N/A

N/A

146 (tie)

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth

$28,626 (in-state, full-time)

169

146 (tie)

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, N.D.

$13,023 (in-state, full-time)

238

146 (tie)

University of San Francisco

San Francisco

$49,820 (full-time)

336

146 (tie)

University of the District of Columbia (Clarke)

Washington, D.C.

$12,838 (in-state, full-time)

123

146 (tie)

University of the Pacific (McGeorge)

Sacramento

$51,312 (full-time)

402

146 (tie)

Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Lansing

N/A

N/A

146 (tie)

Western New England University

Springfield, Mass.

$42,218 (full-time)

183

146 (tie)

Western State College of Law at Argosy University

Irvine, Calif.

$43,350 (full-time)

274

146 (tie)

Widener University-Delaware

Wilmington

$50,616 (full-time)

376

146 (tie)

Widener University-Pennsylvania (Commonwealth)

Harrisburg

$45,870 (full-time)

244

146 (tie)

Willamette University (Collins)

Salem, Ore.

$44,185 (full-time)

312

Source: U.S. News

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